No More Wandering

[Maira]

As spirits went, Kimana's was surprisingly strong willed. Most ghosts and spirits that chose to communicate or visit with Nayeli/Savannah, du to her Death Walker ability, obeyed her when she told them to move along or leave her alone. Not Kimana though, she liked to linger. The only reason that Nayeli/Savannah could figure out for Kimana's unwillingness to listen to her was their personal relationship. After all, Kimana was half her mother and maybe she would have matured into a Death Walker herself. Regardless the reasons, Kimana chose tonight to be a night she wasn't going to listen to her mother's wishes. Instead the little spirit continued to romp around the lioness as Nayeli watched the large male carefully.

At Nasha's approach, Nayeli felt herself relax a bit. Unlike his son, she had no real issues of discomfort around him. When he sent to her the lioness answered him matter of factly, **I've ranged everywhere from Main to Mexico to Alaska, the cold and damp aren't going to bother me as much as it would others.** Only after she answered him did Nayeli realize that she may have come across as mouthing off or acting superior. Feeling suddenly awkward, Nayeli leapt down off her stone perch and slowly walked toward Nasha, leaving the spirit of her daughter at the rock. She may not have been a Pride lion by nature but instinct still directed her in the proper mannerisms to express her apology and her acknowledgement of his alpha status. As she approached him her body was slightly lower and her head was turned slightly, presenting her vulnerable throat, **I'm sorry Alpha, I'm still not accustomed to not speaking so boldly.**

At that moment, Nayeli caught movement out of the corner of her eye and she couldn't help but glance to her right toward the movement. She saw Kimana's spirit, now in her human form (a pretty little dark-haired toddler who looked like a small chubby cheeked version of her mother), watching the interaction between the two lions curiously. In life the only male lions that Kimana had come in contact with were also the ones that had brought about her death. Since her daughter's death, Nayeli/Savannah had always managed to command the girl away but this time Kimana wouldn't budge. **Go darling, please go,** Nayeli practically begged.

The little spirit ignored her mother completely and instead came closer, she came close enough in fact tot place her small hand against the side of Nasha's muzzle while looking intently at the big male. The lioness wasn't sure if she was glad that non-Death Walkers and non-Spirit Guides coudn't see her daughter or not. If only he could, at least Nasha wouldn't think she was crazy for seemingly staring into space.

When Kimana turned her attention back to Nayeli, the girl spirit was smiling and for the first time expressed herself with her voice instead of images and feelings. **He won't hurt us Mama, don't be scared.** Then the girl turned back into a cub and scampered off into the trees, finally obeying her mother's instructions to go.

Savannah didn't realize she was back in human form until she felt the cool night breeze against her bare skin and the wet tears trailing down her cheeks. Once that realization hit her, she tore her gaze from the spot Kimana's spirit had dissappeared into the trees and looked up at the alpha before her and told him quietly, "You will never know how precious a gift you just gave me." Then with a slightly nervous smile she shifted back into her lion form and sent, **We both thank you.**

[Demeter]

Nasha raised the lion equalivant of a raised eyebrow at the lioness before him. It was rare that anyone in the pride or in Haven ever acknowledged his alpha status. After all, they were all a band of misfits stuck together by one circumstance or another.**You owe me no allengence, Nayeli. And while you may have wandered far and wide, the northwest, like many other places, has its own special kind of cold. It's the wind that does it. It goes right through a person and chills them to the bone.**

Nasha stayed where he was and made no move to show he'd noticed the little spirit patting his muzzle. He may not have been a death walker but his talents as a vampire tended to manifest strongly and he could see the little girl. He settled onto the ground, rolling onto his side, as the woman shifted back into a lioness. When she was quiet after thanking him, Nasha turned his big head to look straight at her.**She is a beautiful girl. It is a tragedy that you won't see her grow.**

***

It was one of those odd days in the northwest, when the later summer air was hot but the nights were cold. And probably one of the last days he could ride his back before stashing it in the garage and rolling out the truck he kept around for winter and really rainy days. Navid stood from his crouch and stretched. He tossed the rag he'd used for polishing the chrome into a bucket and patted the seat of his bike.

Now that his baby was all cleaned, he really should take that last ride of the season. After storing his supplies and grabbing his sweatshift, Navid shifted directions to get his helmet out of his room. And right there, on the path was Savannah. He couldn't help but grin.

In the time that she'd been at Haven, he'd only managed to get near her a few times. And really, it was very irrating when a woman went fleeing everytime he got close to her. Not giving Savannah a chance to escape, Navid scooting right on up the path, grinning when the woman backpedled away. "Aw, come on, Savannah, don't you want to play hookie and just get away for a day?"

He just knew that she'd say no. She had that look on her face again so Navid did a little more scooting and draped an arm over her shoulders. He pretended not to notice the way she stiffened up as he pointed her towards the bike. "Come on, Savannah, take a ride with me and just forget everything for a little while."

[Maira]

Nasha's words about Kimana shocked the lioness. How had he seen her? Out of shock more than anything, Nayeli answered him quietly, **I shouldn't be seeing her as a toddler even, she was killed as an infant. For some reason her spirit form ages as she would if she were still alive.** After those words, both lioness and human decided that they were doing exploring for the night and Nayeli asked, **Would you show me the way home, I'm not exactly sure how I even got up here.**

*****

The fall weather was quickly turning winter-like, soon (she was told) Cedar Valley would be drowned in months and months of rain and cold. Still, it was warm enough that day that Savannah was wearing only a tshirt and one of her many hoodies instead of her heavier winter jacket. She was glaring at her cell phone making her way back from the main lodge where she'd had breakfast to her cabin to get ready for class when she heard a noise and looked up. There on the path coming towards her was Navid, and instantly Nayeli was pushing to the surface wanting to get another sniff at the man, Savannah however found herself backing away from him. Nayeli never got so pushy around anyone. Not even Kimana's father Grant had caused a reaction like this in the lioness and it was very disconcerting to the woman.

At his words, Savannah couldn't help but feel a little guilty and she stopped backing away from him. She could hear in his tone that it bothered him that she was constantly running away and when he got even closer and then draped an arm over her shoulders, Savannah did her best not to bolt at the physical contact. Instead she felt herself stiffen. Not the best reaction, but she supposed it was better than running away right?

At his proposition to play hookie from class that day to take a ride with him on his motorcycle, Savannah wanted to say 'no'. She even thought about answering that way for a moment, but finally thanks to a very demanding and cranky mental growl from her other half, Savannah heard the words, "Okay, I guess so," come spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

[Demeter]

Before she could change her mind, Navid had Savannah in a helmet and on the back of his bike with her arms around his waist. He looked over his shoulder and grinned at her before starting the engine and roaring out of the refuge. He didn’t take the main road far and once he could, Navid turned onto the back roads so that he could show Savannah the sights. He twisted and turned the bike through tunnels of trees. Eventually they came out of the trees and were high up in the foothills of the mountains.

Navid slowed the bike and pulled over to the side of the road. He turned off the engine and settled the back on its kickstand before pulling off his helmet and easing off the bike. He turned to Savannah and, chuckling, helped her get the chinstrap of her helmet undone. He waited for her to get off the bike before crossing the road and sitting on the rocky ground of the turnout. Before him spread a view like nothing else that he’d ever seen and he’d done some extensive traveling. He leaned back on his palms, feet dangling over the edge of the cliff. “If I had more time, I’d take you higher up, into the mountains. It’s ever better up there.” Navid tilted his head back and looked at Savannah. “Would you ride with me up into the mountains?”

[Maira]

She couldn't help the squeek of protest that escaped her as Navid quickly herded her toward his motorcycle where he then plopped a helmet on her head and practically (but not quite) shoved her onto the back of his bike. When he got on and pulled her arms forward to wrap around his waist, Savannah caught herself smiling just a little. It amused her that he was so excited. She was sure he was a nice man but when her lion half was so adamant about wanting him as a mate she couldn't help but run the other way every time she saw him. She was a nomad after all and that meant she wasn't supposed to settle down. Right? The look Navid gave her before tearing off down the long driveway didn't even come close to preparing her for the speed at which his bike could go. She squeeked again, then laughed both at herself and out of excitement, and squeezed his waist tightly as they sped off for parts unknown.

The ride itself was not terribly long, but the scenery was amazing. She hadn't had much chance to take a look around while in her human form and her one long run in lion form up to the lake was in the dark. As they rode, Savannah developed a growing love for the countryside surrounding Haven. Little by little, unknown to her completely, she was becoming more attached to Cedar Valley.

When Navid finally stopped the bike and parked it, she waited for him to get off the bike before she tried. Once she was off she tried to get her helmet off and for the life of her she couldn't figure out the darn chinstrap. She was on the verge of growling until she heard the soft chuckle from Navid and instead of growling, she felt her cheeks flush. Not for the first time, Savannah was glad for her slightly darker complexion. Once he'd removed her helmet, Savannah followed Navid across the road and sat down next to him. Like a she had as a child, Savannah automatically and unconsciously started kicking her feet as she dangled them over the rocky edge of the turnout.

When he offered, and then asked, to take her higher into the mountains Savannah's feet stopped moving. She didn't look at him, just kept staring at the breath-taking view, and after a moment of silence answered him, "I think I'd like that." Then she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, and with a slight smile, she added, "This really was a good idea, I'm having fun." The smile Savannah saw spring to life on Navid's face at her words coaxed her own half smile into a full one which nicely showed off her twin dimples that were so rarely seen by any but those closest to her.

Inside of Savannah, Nayeli was practically purring. Slowly but surely she was winning. Before long the lioness would be running with the lion in these mountains and she didn't plan on leaving any time soon.

[Demeter]

Navid grinned at Savannah. "On the way back, I'll take you by my favorite hamburger joint and feed you. I won't be able to get like this much longer. Schools started up and, even though my job is mostly to wrangle the students into some sort of control, I can't escape the administrative work of being principal," Navid screwed up his face at the thought of paperwork. "Fall is setting in and soon the rain will show up and not leave."

He glanced at Savannah. "And soon the other nomads who make Haven their winter home will start to pour in. If you haven't reserved your cabin through till spring, I would do that now. There's also some empty rooms at the lioness boarding house over on the pride side of Haven, just in case you ever get bored of living in a cabin, by yourself."

Once they were back on the road, Navid visited a few more outlooks to let Savannah have a look around before turning the bike back towards the valley. As he rode though a little town, he pulled to the side of the road infront of a wearing looking building. After Savannah was free of bike and helment, he motioned for her to follow. "It may not look like much but they do know how to cook a cow here."

[Maira]

The ride through the mountains had been nice, the company wasn't anything to sneeze at either Savannah admitted to herself grudgingly, and the smells coming from the diner Navid stopped the bike outside of were making her stomach rumble and her mouth water. She couldn't help but believe him when he said they knew how to cook a cow.

Once they were inside and seated, Savannah picked up a menu to see what options the place had burger-wise. She got distracted more than once from her browsing by thoughts on what Navid had mentioned about reserving her cabin for the winter or maybe taking a room at the lioness house. As nice as it was to sometimes have company, for the most part she preferred her solitude and even though the idea of the lioness house was strangely tempting she knew she'd regret the decision in less than a month. If she'd wanted communal living she would have been living in a dorm at the college.

When the server came around, Savannah had to scramble and randomly pick something off the menu before handing it to the young man. Once he was gone and they were just waiting for their food to cook, Savannah asked Navid, "So, having fun today?" The instant smile on his face answered her question before he could voice a reply and she couldn't help but laugh, the sound soft but throaty.

[Demeter]

School had started for everyone but, unlike his students, Navid didn't have any homework. No doubt Savannah had work to do but she was an adult and could set her own schedule. The night was warm and only a little cloudy. He went knocking on Savannah's door.

When she answered, he was leaning on the door frame, grinning at him. "Hey, Savannah, wanna go for a run? Its warm out tonight and the moon is out and bright enough to light up the trails."

It took a bit of work but he convinced her to come out for a run. Together they shifted and with Navid in the lead, they ran the trails in the forest behind Haven. Navid took them high into the forest and out into a mountain meadow. He flopped down on a rock. *Pretty, isn't it? I've traveled a bit and I really can't imagine being anywhere but here.*

He rolled onto his side so that he could see Savannah. *Where have your Nomadic travels taken you? Anywhere you'd want to go back to? I like to hear about the places others have gone but The Haven will always be my home.*

[Maira]

She was in the middle of a paper and was getting frustrated because it just wasn't flowing right. She'd actually just thrown her pen across the room when a knock came at her door. It took her a moment to realize it though because she had her earbuds in listening to music. Only when she heard a second knock did she actually go answer the door. Finding Navid leaning against her door frame smiling at her made Savannah's hackles raise just a little. He always seemed so dang happy and at the moment that was not the way to make her less grumpy and frustrated.

He, apparently, had come to ask her on a run and even though she objected at first because of how much work she had left on her paper, she eventually caved because she just really needed to get her mind on something else. She knew from experience that if she took some time off from the paper and came back to it with fresh eyes she'd probably have an easier time fixing whatever wasn't working.

Letting Nayeli run free in the forest, trailing not too far behind the large male lion that was Navid's other half, the lioness revelled in the freedom and the fresh air. It had been a while since she'd been out, let alone running with one of her own kind, and she truthfully liked spending time with Navid and his lion half. When they got to their destination, the male stayed in his lion form but it was Navid speaking to Savannah so Nayeli let herself lessen her presence enough for Savannah to answer him.

*Its lovely, I agree. One of the more classically pretty places I've been, though all have their own special appeal.* A bit against her will, Savannah silently grumbled at her feline half when she padded over to the big male and flopped down almost on top of him and butted her head into his shoulder. Trying to ignore the damn cats, Savannah continued to answer Navid's questions, *I've been all over the Americas and over to Africa. I'm not sure I have any one favorite because the ones I dont' like I leave, the ones I do like I stay in for a little while and I've stayed a lot of places. If you ever get the chance though, you should visit the jungles in South America among the native people, they're very hospitable and find our kind fascinating.*

By this point, Nayeli was just starting a light purring in her throat and she was belly up and pawing at the big male's jaw trying to get his attention. She wanted him, even if her human half was being stubborn, Nayeli was still a grown female and she knew what she wanted and what was good for both of them.

[Demeter]

Navid eyed the cardboard coffee cup his sister has just plonked down in front of him. He prodded the cup with the tip of his pen. Knowing his sister's taste for the idd and unusual, he cast a wary look at Ruana. "What's in it?"

Ruana pouted. "It is just coffee, you know. Couldn't you at least trust me a little?"

He snorted. "After last years incident with the crab and lobster and that sauce you concocted, no. I swear I can still taste that stuff and it makes me gag."

She rolled her eyes and pushed the cup closer to him. "Can't I just be nice to my favorite big brother and buy him a cup of plain black coffee without my motives being questioned. I promise I'm not trying to poison you."

With a raised eyebrow, Navid took a sip of the coffee. When it turned out to be just plain coffee, he looked at Ruana. "What do you want?"

"Who says I want anything?"

"You buy me coffee and don't sabotage it? You want something, kid, so spit it out," he said before popping the lid of the cup and slugging back the coffee. He didn't care if it was scalding hot; he hadn't had nearly enough caffeine to deal with today.

Ruana scowled and leaned against her brother. "Please, please, please tell Dad that I'm gonna drop out and become a massage therapist."

Navid stood up abruptly, causing Ruana to topple to the side. "Nope, you're on your own for that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I see something better then you or the seniors I'm riding herd on. Thanks for the coffee, Sis."

Navid saluted his sister and crossed the square to the fountain. "Hey, Savannah. I can't convince you to play hookie today. Babysitting high schoolers. Going to have to round them up soon. Wanna go neck behind the art building?"

[Maira]

When Savannah caught of whiff of a very familiar male lion, she debated trying to slip away from him. If she had been on her way to class she definitely would have tried, she got too easily distracted by him, but since she was finished with classes for the day and on her way to grab a cup of coffee instead, she let him catch her. She was a little shocked, and quite amused, by his proposition to go neck behind the art building but she answered him with equal measures of sass and teasing, "Only if you pay the toll first, hand over the coffee."

The startled and slightly confused look on Navid's face caused Savannah to laugh, and that in turn caused Nayeli to wake up and take notice. Her human was actually flirting with the human of the lion male that she desired. Finally!

When he tried handing Savannah his coffee, she laughed even harder and told him, "I'm kidding! I do need some of my own though or I might fall asleep mid-necking." The smirk that flickered in his eyes and turned up the corners of his mouth, caused Savannah's breath to catch. She had tried not to notice in the past, but the damn man really was quite handsome. Turning, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the coffee shop nearest the fountain square.

*****

Coffee of her own in hand, Savannah practically gulped it in an effort to wake herself up. Nayeli was prowling quite near the surface now and she needed to make sure that the lioness didn't do something rash. She let Navid lead the way as her brain, heart and lioness all fought about how they should actually be handling this situation. By the time Navid led her to a secluded area, against all of her normal logic, Savannah was willing to give him a chance and she was actually the one to push him only semi gently into the wall before stretching up to kiss him soundly after a nip to his lower lip.

[Demeter]

Navid happily allowed Savannah to drag him around the campus. He wasn't sure what had caused the abrupt change in the Lioness but he wasn't about to argue the point. The change in her behavior was well within his plans of staking a claim. The refuge would soon will be filled with Nomadic males seeking shelter for the season and Navid was planning on claiming Savannah's company during the long Northwest nights.

He let Savannah control their impromptu make out session. Mostly. He did manage to reverse their position and lifted the Lioness up until her butt was perched on the low wall and her back was against a brick pillar. And they might have managed some heavy petting if they didn't have a soundtrack of giggles, cat-calls and few "you go, Mr. Valenti's" suddenly pop up.

Growling, Navid peered over his shoulder at his group of students. After ordering them back to the fountain, he turned back to Savannah and rested his forehead against hers. "I can't kill them. The board frowns on murder. I don't think that the excuse of "I finally got my lips on the most beautiful Lioness I've ever seen" would be a good reason for kill them. If I bring food to your place tonight, can we continue this?"

After a few more kisses and teasing a response from Savannah, Navid took off. He strolled backwards down the empty alley between buildings so that he could keep looking at her. Before he reached the front of the building, he winked and blew her a last kiss.

That evening, a little after seven, Navid knocked on Savannah's door. When she answered, he leaned against the door and wiggled a bag at her. "I got us some steaks. I told them rare and I'm pretty sure its so rare that if we wanted to, we could play mad scientist and bring the cow back to life. So, wanna play made scientist or can I stick these in the oven and we can pick up where we left off the afternoon?"

[Maira]

The cat-calls and whistles hadn't really deterred Savannah and it was Navid that pulled away first. She couldn't help the groan that escaped her while he shooed his students back to the fountain. It wasn't just Nayeli that was in a mood, it seemed, and Savannah was more than a little peeved at the interruption. It had been way too long since this particular itch had been scratched and now that the scratching had started the itch seemed even worse. When Navid asked if they could continue their activities later that evening, Savannah nodded silently. She didn't trust her voice not to give away just how badly she wanted to continue things. She watched him walk away, smiled when he blew her a kiss, and decided that if she was going to have any chance of controlling herself when he came over later that she needed to go for a nice long exhausting run.

*****

After her run back at Sanctuary, Savannah had sat down to work on various bits of homework. She managed for a while, but then she felt herself starting to drag. She was half tempted to get up and make coffee, but the point of her run had been to tire her out and the coffee would be counter productive to that. She was still mid-debate with herself about the coffee when she dozed off, pen still in hand.

The knock at the door startled Savannah awake and she dropped her pen to the floor as she bolted upright in her chair. She glared at the random line across the page of her homework before scooting out of her chair and racing to answer the door. When she opened it, the smirk on Navid's face and the smell of barely cooked steaks greeted her. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips as he spoke. Instead of answering him with words, Savannah pulled him inside her cabin, shut the door and then shoved him against it for another kiss. It was fast and rough and left him staring at her funny when she pulled away and took the bag of steaks with her to the little kitchenette.

[Demeter]

Navid was perfectly content to remain exactly where be was. Savannah was rambling around the little kitchenette, plating the steaks and adding some sides to the meal. He'd arrived an hour ago and, after a very enthusiastic wrestling match on the couch, he wanted his steak.

He smirked when Savannah wandered back in with the plates. Her hair was tangled and messed up. They'd kept their clothing on while they'd rolled around on the couch but that didn't mean his hands hadn't strayed below her shirt. Her hands had been just as active.

His thoughts blanked out when the plate, with its healthy slab of meat was set before him. With the single mindedness of a carnivore, he fell about his piece of cow. Beside him, Savannah did the same. Once the steaks were finished, along with the grudgingly eaten sides of potato and salad, Navid leaned back. "That was good. How about a nap?"

It was almost scary how easy it was to convince Savannah to snuggle up to him and snooze. Once the dishes where stacked in the kitchen and the two of them were snug under a blanket, he poked her. "All right, what gives? I chase you for months, without the slighest hint of anything more then I annoy you and all of the sudden we're kissing and wrestling and kissing and sharing dinner and kissing and napping together. Did I mention the kissing."